The Story
I photographed this Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) at Reserva Natural La Palmita in Trinidad, Casanare, Colombia. Where people live it eats food scraps and has been known to enter restaurants. It nests alone or in small colonies, and one tree may hold a dozen nests. Pairs display by raising and spreading their tails and shaking their open wings. It forages mostly on the ground in flocks that often include other blackbirds. La Palmita’s research center has recorded 250 bird species and 39 bat species in the flooded savannas of Trinidad. IUCN lists the Carib Grackle as Least Concern, with a stable population.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/250 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125. La Palmita’s research center also monitors the savanna’s birds and mammals and rehabilitates and releases wildlife rescued from illegal trafficking.
©2019 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) belongs to the family Icteridae (Troupials and Allies) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2018), with the population trend listed as stable. Source: IUCN Red List